Sympathy for the Parents
by firefighterdawson
Summary: "My whole life was a lie and the one person I needed was you. But I guess you were lying to me too." When Gabby's father comes to stay, everything seems great. But after a series of decade old lies are uncovered, Gabby's world starts to come crashing down .
1. Til The Sun Comes Up

_Ok this is something Zoe and I have been wanting to do for awhile. Ever since we found out Gabby's dad was coming back we had all these ideas about how it would play out and this one was our favorite. So a bunch of kinda au headcannons ended up becoming a mini fic. This story will probably end up having nine to ten chapters and we'd like to have it finished by the season finale. Anyways we hope you all enjoy. :) -Heather_

 _Chapter One: 'Til The Sun Comes Up_

Gabby walked into the common room, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding as she made her way to the coffee pot. _This was just another call,_ she reminded herself. But ever since Louie had come into her life, things had changed. Calls with kids were so much harder to handle now. She ignored the looks of concern on the guys faces as she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and started to head for the door.

Matt watched her leave, knowing she would need a few minutes alone before she would be open to talking to anyone. He hesitated, unsure whether to follow her or not. They knew from past experience that they needed to avoid crossing lines while on shift. _Screw being professional,_ he thought as he headed down the corridor, knowing exactly where he would find her.

She was laying down on the bed in his office, the blinds drawn, her back to the door. Carefully, he made his way over to her and sat on the edge of the bed, his hand coming to rest on her thigh, his thumb rubbing soothing circles as he waited for her to speak.

It was a few minutes before she spoke, her voice raspy, "he was Louie's age. I tried to save him. But there was so much blood." He waited for her to say something else, knowing that she needed to let it out. "Did I not do enough?"

"Hey, Gabby, you did everything you could. We can't save them all," he soothed.

Eventually she turned to face him, intertwining her fingers with his, her free hand wiping away the tears that had escaped.

"His mom was with us in the ambulance with us. She wouldn't let go of his hand. The look on her face when his heart stopped," her voice cracked, a sob escaping her lips, "I can't get it out of my mind, Matt."

Matt pulled her up into a sitting position, wrapping his arms around her, his hand rubbing circles. She placed her head in the crook of his neck.

"I get it, Gabs, ever since Louie… calls involving kids all of a sudden became the worst part of this job. Being a parent… it changes you."

"But, Matt, we're not Louie's parents," Gabby sighed, "not anymore."

"Hey," he whispered, "Gabby you are his mother." He paused, collecting his thoughts, before continuing in a much more confident voice, "We may not be raising him anymore. He may not be with us now but no one can ever take away the fact that we were the first real family he knew. We were there when he needed us. He will always be ours."

They sat in silence a few more minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly Gabby pulled back and looked up at him, "You know after a bad call like this, the first thing I would do was call my dad. Just hearing his voice would make me feel better. But now it's like I don't know him anymore. Ever since the anniversary party…"

There was a brief pause, but before Matt could say anything, Gabby spoke again her walls coming back up with each word, "Did the guys notice anything? I don't want them to see me like this… being vulnerable."

"Hey, everyone's been there. In this job, you can't just stop caring. The day you do is the day you should quit."

"Why do you always know exactly what to say?" She asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Hey, it's kinda my job now, as your husband," he teased. She shoved his shoulder playfully, before leaning up and placing a sweet kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"I'm only doing what you have done for me a thousand times."

They remained that way for a few more moments, his arms tucked firmly around her, her head resting on his chest just above his heart.

"I should get back," she sighed, extracting herself from her husband's embrace and standing to leave.

"Yeah, don't want any of the guys getting suspicious" he winked, moving to the door behind her.

As she turned, her eyes fell on the wall behind, where Matt's desk was located. A smile spread across her face, her eyes lighting up as she turned to look at Matt.

"What?" he asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"The picture, you still have it?" she questioned in awe, moving cautiously over to the wall.

"Yeah. I know we cleared his room, got rid of all his stuff… but I couldn't bring myself to take that down." he replied, coming up behind her and placing a comforting hand in the small of her back.

"I miss him," Gabby sighed, running a finger down the jagged lines of the drawing.

"Me too."

Before either could say any more, Cruz appeared at the office door saying, "Guys, Chief wants us all in the briefing room."

Gabby nor Sylvie were their normal selves for the rest of the shift. They weren't outwardly upset, but the guys could tell that the call had left them both shaken.

They were grateful for the guys, that they made an extra effort to cheer them up. They provided the distraction the girls needed; stupid jokes and pulling equally stupid pranks on one another.

Ever since his conversation with Gabby, Matt had been acting strange. He had been unusually quiet and had spent most of the afternoon in his office.

Gabby was heading to check on him as it was getting late and he had yet to come out and eat. She had cooked her famous Mac and Cheese, a dish which Matt could not refuse.

Making her way closer to the office she could hear he was on the phone. She paused, curious, and was able to make out, "Thanks so much for doing this, see you then." Not wanting to eavesdrop on what was clearly a personal rather than professional call, she waited until it had ended before she resumed her course to his office, clearing her throat as she arrived in the doorway. He looked startled at the intrusion, but quickly smiled when he realised it was his wife at his office door, her hands full of food.

"Is that smile for me or the mac and cheese?" She asked, her grin matching his.

"Is 'both' an acceptable answer?" he teased, moving to take the plate from her hands.

She pulled the dish out of his reach, a smirk forming on her face, "I guess I'll just keep this for myself then."

"Babe," he pouted, "please? Because you love me?"

"Fine. But only because I spent an hour cooking this for you and I don't want to see it got to waste." she replied, handing the plate over.

He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before moving to his desk, mumbling a quick "thank you" before digging into the dish.

Gabby chuckled at the speed with which she was forgotten in favor of food as she sat down on his bunk. "Who was on the phone?" She asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Matt hesitated a moment, his fork halfway to his mouth, "Just Alderman stuff," he turned to face her, offering a small smile, "nothing important."

Not being totally sure she believed him, Gabby nodded, deciding that this is not the time nor the place to question him about it. They sat in silence while Matt ate, it wasn't necessarily awkward, but they both knew this conversation was not over. Matt just really hoped he could pull off what he had been planning before Gabby figured it out.

* * *

Gabby left the office a few hours later, after having camped out on his bed doing paperwork. She made her way to the bathroom passing most of the men of 51 sound asleep. Leaving a cubicle, she let out an involuntary yawn and checked the time on her phone, surprised to see how late it had gotten. She stopped in front of the mirror, pulling her hair down and running a hand through the locks, tugging out a few knots. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she stared at the lock screen a few moments. It was her favorite picture of Matt and Louie, taken one night when she had come home from a shift at Molly's and found the pair crashed out on the sofa. She smiled at the memory before entering the passcode. Taking a deep breath, she started to dial the familiar number it rang once, twice, and then she lost her nerve. She hit the end call button, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding.

It wasn't until she heard a cough that she realized someone else had entered the bathroom. She came face to face with Kelly Severide, who offered her a knowing smile.

"You ok?" Severide asked, coming to stand next to Gabby and opening his bathroom bag, "I know this shift has been pretty rough for you."

"Yeah." Gabby sighed, releasing a shaky breath, "Just been one of those days."

"Who were you calling?" Severide asked.

"No one." She tried, but he was having none of it. He stared at her, seeing right through her façade. She sighed, knowing he wouldn't relent until she told him."It's just, uh, my dad. We've not really spoken much since the party. I don't really know what to say to him, but I miss him."

"I know you are angry and I get it, but at the end of the day he's still your dad. Your firehouse family, they're the family you choose, but your blood family? You're connected by biology and that's a bond you can never break." He paused a moment, reflecting on his relationship with his own father. "You know I've had a… difficult relationship with Benny. He wasn't always there for me as a kid. And he's certainly not been there for me much as an adult. But we've been working on it, you know? Dinners, fishing trips… it's helps. We're building bridges. Whatever your dad has done… I know it's not easy, but you'll regret it later if you don't try to mend things."

Gabby smiled, picking up the phone and tracing a finger over the lock screen photo once more, "yeah, you're right." She was silent for a few moments, her mind racing. "I'm going to call him."

"That's my girl" he smiled, shoving her shoulder playfully as he made his way to leave.

"I'm going to tell Matt you said that," she called after him.

Exiting the bathroom she pulled her phone back out of her pocket, her fingers instinctively dialing her father's number. She took a few deep breaths as the dialing tone played. The phone was now resting between her ear and shoulder as she moved around the kitchen intent on preparing for the morning's breakfast, which she had volunteered to cook. She sighed as she heard her father's answer machine message. _Typical, as soon as I get the courage to call he, doesn't pick up_ , she thought sadly.

Hearing the beep signaling the start of the recording, she fumbled for the right thing to say. Letting out a shaky breath she began; "hi dad. It's me, Gabby. I know it's been awhile since we last talked, and I'm sorry. I, uh, I just wanted to say that I love you." she paused, inhaling and exhaling slowly in an attempt to stop the tears that were threatening to fall, before whispering, "And I miss you." She was silent a moment, willing herself to keep it together, annoyed at how much she was letting her guard down. She cleared her throat, her mask slipping back into place as she tried to wrap up the message, "So, if you could give me a call when you get this, I'd really appreciate it. Bye."

She felt relief after leaving the voicemail. Proud of herself for making a step towards fixing things with her father. Angry at herself for letting things get like this. As she finished cutting food for the morning, Severide's words resounded in her head _"You're connected by biology and that's a bond you can never break"._ She had acted rashly in ignoring his calls, and she knew it. But she was trying to fix things. And she was hopeful that she would. Her dad was still her dad after all, and she knew he loved her unconditionally. The food placed securely in the fridge, she made her way to the bunk room intent on getting some sleep.

* * *

The rest of the night passed relatively smoothly. There were a few calls, but most of 51's second shift had been able to get sufficient sleep. Gabby and Sylvie were the first up, their latest call having come in at 5:30am, and neither had bothered to head back to sleep when they returned to the firehouse. Soon enough 51 was filled with the aroma of bacon and sausages, it's scent drawing the sleepy men in one by one, their eyes lighting up as they are greeted with the feast Gabby had prepared.

With everyone digging into their food, Gabby stood back and observed the group, noting that there was someone missing.

"Has anyone seen Casey this morning?"

"I think he's still in his office," Cruz supplied between mouthfuls of scrambled egg.

"Oh," she replied, her mind wandering back to the previous evening. Before she could say another word, Matt appeared in the doorway, his smile bright. There was a chorus of "morning"s as he made his way over to the counter to fill a plate, a spring in his step.

Gabby leaned against the side nursing a mug of coffee, her head tilted to one side as she regarded him.

"Good morning," he greeted, his grin wide and his eyes twinkling. "Sleep well?"

"Hi," she replied, "Yeah. Pretty well. You?" His smile was infectious, and she found the corners of her mouth turning up.

"Yep." He smirked, moving over to the coffee pot and pouring himself a cup, his eyes never leaving hers.

They were trapped in a standoff; her not wanting to ask what had gotten him all excited, him not wanting to give it away so easily. She pushed off the counter moving to take a seat at the empty round table. He followed her, mere inches behind and took the seat opposite her, his eyes glistening. They sat and stared at one another for a few seconds before a cough from the other side of the room brought them crashing back to reality.

"Uh, do you guys need a room?" Cruz asked, gaining laughs from the others and causing them both to roll their eyes.

"Ok. I give in," she said, shaking her head and holding her hands up in defeat, "what's got you all giddy?"

"What?" he asked, his grin returning in full force, asking between mouthfuls of cereal, "I can't be happy?"

Her eyes narrowed as she regarded him, "You're not usually a morning person."

"What, and you are?" he shot back, eyebrows raised.

She scoffed at him before continuing, "stop trying to change the subject."

"Alright, alright," he relented, throwing his hands in the air, "I have a surprise for you...But I'm not telling you what it is until we get there."

"Matt," Gabby whined, pouting, "You know I don't like surprises."

He polished off the last of his cereal before he regarded her again. "You're going to like this one, I promise."

He stood and moved to stand behind her, placing a quick kiss on the top of her head before moving back into the kitchen to discard his empty bowl.

Matt couldn't get out of the firehouse quick enough when shift was over. He'd made sure all of his paperwork was filed to make transition to third shift as smooth as possible. Making his way to the locker room to locate his wife, he thought about the morning he had lined up for her. He knew how hard the last few months had been for her, not only had they lost Louie and heard that her parents were getting a divorce, but she couldn't seem to catch a break at work. It seemed to be one bad call after another lately. That's why he'd been so desperate to pull this off for her.

She was waiting for him in the locker room, already changed out of her work clothes and was standing in the corner talking to Severide. Matt couldn't make out what they were saying, but from the smile on Severide and the friendly hug he gave her before they parted, he figured they must have been talking about something happy.

"Hey, Gabby," he called, gaining her attention as he moved to grab his bag from his locker.

"Yeah, just let me get my stuff," she smiled, joining him. She was quiet a moment before asking, "When are you going to tell me where we are going?"

He closed his locker, swinging his bag over his shoulder and moving closer to her before kissing her on her forehead, "You'll find out when we get there." He checked his watch before smiling up at her pout. "We better get going if we're going to get there on time. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us."

"Ok, fine," she muttered, playfully shoving his shoulders. "But we're stopping for coffee on the way and I'm choosing the music."

He put his arm around her shoulders as they began to make their way out of the firehouse, "it's a deal." Reaching the car and pulling out the keys from his bag he teased, "I can't wait to listen to the Hamilton soundtrack for the 10,000th time." He's pretty sure that if she wasn't around the other side of the car, he would have earned a punch to the arm.

Gabby was getting more impatient the closer they got to their destination. Matt wasn't sure if it was more because she still had no idea of where they were going or because she had consumed her entire body weight in coffee before 10am. They took the exit off the interstate, Gabby gasping as she read 'Rock Island'.

She turned in her seat to look at Matt, "Are we?"

He stole a glance at her, his grin wide, and reached out to hold her hand, before saying softly, "yeah, we are."

"Matt!" she exclaimed, as he navigated a small friendly-looking neighborhood, "why didn't you tell me?!"

He chuckled softly, stealing another glance at her awestruck face, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"So this is who you were on the phone to last night?" she asked, seeking clarification for his odd behavior in the last 24 hours.

"Yeah I called Andre to set it all up. It was so hard not to tell you." They pulled up outside an apartment complex, Matt killing the engine before turning to look at his wife. "I know how hard it's been just getting a couple of phone calls every now and then, and after your call last shift…"

She cut him off by leaning in and kissing him gently, before pulling back slightly. Her left hand cupped the side of his face, as she tried to think of what to say. After a moment she simply whispered, "thank you."

He simply nodded before leaning in to place a lingering kiss on her lips. When they broke apart, he pulled out his phone, unlocking it and checking the address they had was correct. Address confirmed, he looked back up at her before asking, "Shall we go in?"

She practically jumped from the car, and was stood at the driver's side before he had even taken his belt off. He chuckled at her enthusiasm as he locked the car before joining her on the sidewalk. She looped her arm through his, a dopey smile on her face as they made their way up the path to the complex.

"It's nicer than I imagined," Gabby mused as they went up the stairs to the floor Andre and Louie lived on. Matt nodded his agreement as they continued climbing, Gabby practically running a few steps ahead of him.

"For such a tiny woman you sure do move quickly," he teased, catching up with her at the stairwell exit.

"I may be short, Mr. Casey, but I'm not too short to punch you."

Matt shook his head at her antics before opening the door for her. "After you, Mrs Casey."

She slapped his arm as she passed him, making her way to Andre's apartment. She stopped suddenly a few feet from the door. Matt crashed into her, not suspecting her unexpected halt, and grabbed her waist with one hand and the wall with the other to stop the two tumbling to the ground.

"Gabby?" he asked gently, "Everything OK?"

She turned on her heels to face him, her face a mixed array of emotions. The excitement was still there, but there was something in her eyes, an uncertainty.

When she didn't reply, he repeated softly, "Gabs?"

"What if he doesn't remember us?" she whispered, wrapping an arm protectively around her torso and looking down at the floor.

"Hey, hey, look at me," he prompted, lifting her chin with his hand, "Of course he will remember us."

She nodded, offering a small smile. "Yeah, you're right."

He intertwined their fingers and pulled her to his chest, waiting a few moments as she regained her composure. When she looked back up at him, he asked, "You ready to go in?"

"Definitely," she replied, the excitement returning. She turned to the door once more, and raised a hand to ring the bell, her other hand still firmly linked with Matt's.

They waited with baited breaths as the doorbell chimed, hearing movement on the other side of the door. Andre opened it a few moments later, his face unshaven and the bags under his eyes indicating that he hadn't had a good night sleep for what looked like at least a few days.

"Hi, hi, come in" he greeted, ushering them in, "Sorry in advance for the mess, it's been a hectic few days."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm sorry this is so last minute." Matt replied, removing his coat before helping Gabby out of hers.

"It's cool." he responded, waving their apology off with his hand. He gestured down the small hallway, "Uh, Louie's in the living room right now."

"Does he know we're coming?" Gabby asked, her stomach suddenly full of butterflies, as she stepped carefully over shoes and toys on her way down the corridor.

"Uh, no, no. I, thought it might be a nice surprise for him. Besides, he's been particularly hyperactive lately…" he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

Matt was about to reply when they reached the doorway, but the sight before him rendered him speechless. It had only been a matter of months since he had last seen Louie, but he could have sworn the boy had grown. He sat with his back to them, eyes glued to the TV screen, a frown on his face, his favourite toy monkey held firmly to his chest. Pulling his eyes away from Louie, he stole a glance at his wife, seeing the same array of emotions passing through her face; joy and pride and unconditional love. She was holding back tears, though Matt was sure they were happy rather than sad.

"Louie?" Gabby cautiously whispered, moving forward to capture the boy's attention.

Slowly, Louie's head turned from the TV at the familiar voice, his eyes lighting up as they locked with Gabby's.

Louie threw himself off the sofa, his little legs moving to bridge the gap between them. Matt smiled warmly. He was sure he had never seen the kid move so fast before.

"MOMMY!" Louie cried, throwing himself at Gabby, wrapping his little arms around her legs.

"Hi, baby," Gabby greeted, tears running freely down her face. She lifted him up in her arms, breathing in the familiar scent of his toddler shampoo and she rubbed circles on the boy's back. He was crying softly into her shirt, his small hands gripping on tightly. She swayed gently, leaning her head close to his ear and whispering soft words of comfort. Matt moved closer to the pair, wrapping one arm around Gabby's shoulder, his other hand coming up to caress Louie's back.

"Hey, buddy," Matt greeted. Louie hadn't noticed Matt up until this point, Gabby having had his complete undivided attention. Louie hiccupped softly, recognition hitting him as he reached out his arms and whispered, "daddy?"

Matt took Louie from Gabby, placing a kiss on his forehead as the boy snuggled his head into the crook of Matt's neck. "Missed you," he whispered, looking up at his former foster parents, tear tracks staining his face as he continued to hiccup softly.

"We missed you too, sweetie," Gabby soothed, her thumb softly wiping away his stray tears.

The trio soon moved to the couch, Andre appearing at the doorway with a tray of coffees and biscuits handing them out before taking a seat in the armchair opposite Gabby, Matt, and Louie. They made small talk, discussing how Louie had settled in and if he was still as obsessed with his trucks. Louie all the while stayed glued to either Matt or Gabby, the pair taking it in turns to play with him.

All too soon it was time for Matt and Gabby to leave, Matt had a construction job and Gabby had a shift at Molly's that evening, and they still had the drive back.

Gabby and Matt took turns in holding Louie close once more, placing soft kisses on his cheeks and forehead. He held on tight, not wanting them to leave again, and it broke Gabby's heart to remove his hands from her shirt. Matt grabbed their coats and shoes.

There was a moment where Louie worked out what was happening, at which point all hell broke loose. He then firmly wrapped his arms around Matt's legs crying, "No leave!"

Andre tried desperately to extract Louie's arms, pulling him into the air. The toddler screamed, kicking his arms and legs in protest, tears streaming down his face. Gabby's heart broke at the sight, and she tried to sooth Louie. She approached him, her hand caressing his cheek as she whispered, "it's ok, baby. Mo-," she stopped herself, retracting her words, "Gabby and Matt have to go now. But we'll come see you again soon, ok?"

His arms outstretched towards Gabby, he cried softly, "mommy."

She looked at Andre, hoping he would step up and take control of the situation, but he looked lost and unsure. Gabby took Louie from Andre's arms, bringing the boy to her chest and swaying softly as she tried to calm him. Matt joined the pair, rubbing soothing circles on the toddler's back. A few minutes later, the cries were reduced to the occasional small hiccups and Louie had relaxed in Gabby's embrace. His breathing started to even out as the exhaustion of his tantrum caught up to him.

Matt looked up at Andre, the relief evident on the other man's face. Gabby moved to take Louie towards the bedroom, Matt holding out a hand to stop her, asking Andre, "would you like us to put him down?"

"Please," came the muffled response, as Andre shuffled from foot to foot.

They moved to the bedroom, a small-ish room with drab grey walls and a floor littered with toys. Pausing briefly to pick up his blue blanket, Gabby manoeuvred to the bed and placed the toddler down. She looked up at Matt, ready to ask him to find Louie's monkey, only to see Matt holding the boy's favorite toy in his hand. She smiled warmly, before taking the object and handing it to Louie. "Book or song?" she asked, her hand caressing the boy's cheek.

"Song!" Louie cried, fighting exhaustion long enough to hear his mother's voice.

Matt chuckled, pulling the blanket up further around the toddler and settling in next to him to hear his wife's lullaby. This had been his favorite part of their old routine. He never tired of hearing her voice, soft and gentle as she sang their son to sleep.

Gabby took a deep breath, the words she had long since remembered flowing out of her mouth with ease. This was the lullaby of her childhood, her grandmother's favorite, one she had heard a thousand times. She was less than half way through the song when Louie's breathing evened out and he succumbed to slumber, his monkey held securely in his arms. Matt and Gabby stayed a while, content to sit and watch Louie sleep. They shared a bittersweet look, both knowing they should leave but neither wanting to. Matt was the first to move, circling the bed and offering Gabby a hand, which she gratefully took as they made their way quietly out of the room.

Gabby took one last look at the sleeping form before closing the door, a sigh escaping her lips. They turned towards the hallway, where Andre stood, nervously wringing his hands.

"He's asleep." Matt announced as they joined the other man.

"Thank you," Andre said sincerely, but Gabby could see there was something he was hesitant to say.

"What is it?" she asked bluntly.

"Nothing, it's just, I think you should go. Before he wakes up." he muttered, before quickly adding, "If you're still here when he wakes up…"

"We'll have a repeat of the last half an hour." Matt finished for him, offering a small smile.

"We get it. It's ok. He can be a handful." Gabby offered, reaching for her coat.

"Even after all this time… it still seems effortless for you." He commented, ducking his head slightly.

"We had a lot more practice," Matt replied, shrugging his shoulders, "Plus there are two of us."

"Thank you," Gabby said sincerely, "for letting us come and see him. We had a bad shift and I really needed it."

"You're welcome. Feel free to come visit any time. It's good for him."

"We'd better get going then." Matt said, offering Andre his hand, which the other man shook firmly.

"Hopefully we'll see you again soon?" Andre asked nervously.

"Definitely," Gabby replied confidently, following Matt out of the door.

Once the apartment door closed behind them, Gabby let out a sigh, turning to embrace her husband.

"Are you ok?" He asked softly after a moment or two.

"Yeah," she replied, pulling back to look at him, "it's just hard leaving him."

"I know." Matt agreed, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, "But you heard what Andre said... we can go visit whenever we want to."

"Yeah," Gabby muttered. Matt seemed unconvinced that she really was ok. Sensing this, Gabby smiled softly at him, her hand coming up to the side of his face, "thank you so much for all of this. I just really needed it after everything… and I really am ok, I promise."

Content with her answer, he pulled out of the embrace and the pair turned towards the exit. Matt swung his arm around her shoulders, as they walked, Gabby leaning into his embrace.

* * *

The car ride home had been quiet, both Matt and Gabby lost in their own thoughts as they made the two hour drive home. Arriving back at the apartment, neither had much of a chance to speak any more as Matt needed to head straight to his construction job. Gabby headed to the bedroom, her exhaustion from shift catching up with her and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was out.

Matt wandered into the apartment a couple of hours later, expecting to find Gabby getting ready for her shift at Molly's. He was surprised to find her sound asleep. He sat down gently on the edge of the bed, pushing a few strands of hair from her face as he gently whispered to her, "Gabby, you need to wake up."

"What time is it?" She moaned, shoving her face into the pillow.

"A little after 6:30."

She threw the covers back, jumping out of bed, the quick movement causing her head to spin. Matt grabbed onto her waist, concern evident on his face as he asked, "Babe? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," She insisted, shrugging him off, "I just got up too fast." She moved out of his embrace, grabbing her work clothes from her closet. She dressed in record time, Matt watching from the bed as she did so. She got half way out of their bedroom before stopping, turning back, and placing a quick kiss on Matt's lips and murmuring, "I love you," before heading out of the door.

"Love you too," Matt called as she exited, chuckling at what a rush she was in.

He decided to make the most of the time he had alone, grabbing a beer and some leftover enchiladas before settling down on the sofa to watch the Cubs game they had missed due to being on shift the night before.

Switching off the TV, he made his way into the kitchen to discard of his beer bottle, his thought falling back to Gabby. She always had this tough exterior, a barrier protecting her from harm, but Matt could see right through it. She had insisted that she was fine as they left Andre's apartment but he wasn't entirely convinced. Between what went down with her parents and giving up Louie, this year had been especially hard for her. Gabby is the strongest person he knows, but the amount of heartbreak surrounding her would take its toll on anybody, and he wasn't sure she was dealing with it. She had once told him that he deals with things by not dealing with them. And Matt wasn't sure if she realized that she does the exact same.

His thoughts were interrupted by the front door opening. Gabby shuffled into the room, her hand over her mouth stifling a yawn as she kicked her shoes off.

She dropped her bag down, heading straight for the stairs, and straight past her husband who was watching her with an amused smile. He cleared his throat, and she jumped, startled, and spun around to face him.

"Oh, I thought I was getting the silent treatment," he teased, coming up behind her and pulling her to him. She leaned into the embrace and kissed him softly, before pulling back.

"I'm so gross I need to shower." She tried to remove herself from his arms, but he pulled her in closer, kissing her neck, eliciting a soft moan. Her phone started to ring, and she pulled it from her pocket, intent on answering it.

"Ignore it," Matt whispered huskily, taking it from her and declining the call.

"Matt," she complained, "that could have been important."

He silenced her with a kiss, his hand coming up to her neck. The phone call forgotten, Gabby deepened the kiss, both needing the physical contact. Matt picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, running her tongue across his lips, desperate for entry.

Their moment was interrupted by the phone ringing again. Both Gabby and Matt moaned, Matt placing her down on the ground as she grabbed the phone off of him, not even bothering to look at the caller ID as she brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" she greeted, suppressing a moan as Matt's attention turned back to her neck. Matt felt her tense as she recognized the voice on the other end of the line and he pulled back, offering a questioning glance.

"It's my dad," she whispered, "he wants to talk."


	2. The Mess I Made

_Sorry for the wait. Life happened but we'll try to do better next time. :) Funny fact, the girl in the bicycle scene is based of a character from a short film Zoe's brother wrote and directed. Review please? - Heather_

 _Chapter Two: The Mess I Made_

There were few things Gabby loved more than watching it rain from the warmth and safety of the indoors. She gazed as the rain drizzled down and left tracks on the window pane, her hands nursing a steaming cup of coffee. She relished in the noise around her, the chatter of the diner allowing her to zone out and to just exist in the moment. Watching a droplet dribble its way down, Gabby's mind wandered to the conversation she had with her dad two nights earlier. It had been awkward at first, neither quite knowing what to say, but as time had gone on it had become easier. After her parent's divorce, she had begun to see her father in a different light, she had let her anger and frustration blind her to the fact that he is still her dad, he's not a different person, he's just flawed. She forgot how much she enjoyed talking to him, even if he did tell the worst jokes.

Movement in her peripheral vision pulled her back to the present as Sylvie Brett took the seat opposite her. Their first call had come only moments after roll call, leaving neither the chance to get any breakfast. After dropping off the patient at the hospital, they had stopped at their favorite spot; a diner about halfway between Chicago Med and the firehouse.

"Hey girl, you looked a thousand miles away." Brett greeted, dropping three sugar cubes in her coffee.

Gabby coughed, clearing her throat, before she explained, "Yeah. I talked to my dad the other night. It was the first real conversation we've had since the party."

"And?" Brett prompted.

"And… it was good. We talked for a couple of hours, cleared the air. Before, I was so angry at him. All I could think about was how what he did hurt my mom, even me and Antonio, but..." Gabby paused for a moment collecting her thoughts. "This hasn't been easy on him either."

"Oh, he's having a hard time?"

"Yeah-". Before Gabby had a chance to explain further, they were interrupted by their radios calling them to a scene of a fully involved structure fire.

"Fill me in later?" Brett asked, placing a few dollars on the table.

"Definitely," Gabby replied, knowing she was going to need her friend's advice. She wasn't sure how Matt would react to the news she had.

* * *

Three hours later, the ambulance pulled up on the apparatus floor. They were the last to arrive back, having dropped the last patient off at the hospital, and were pleasantly surprised to see lunch waiting for them when they returned.

Walking closer to the common room, the smell coming from the kitchen was making Gabby's stomach turn.

"What is that?" She asked Otis, who was sitting at the table playing games on his iPad. His face dropped, offering a grimace, "It's Cruz's turn to cook today."

"Ok guys, the chili is ready, come get it." Cruz called, eliciting a collective groan from the men and women of 51.

"You call this chili?" Mouch asked in disgust.

"Come on guys, it's my family's secret recipe. My mom taught me when I was a kid"

"Maybe she shouldn't have bothered." Matt muttered under his breath, gaining laughs from everyone but Cruz.

Gabby and Brett shared a look, a silent agreement that they needed to make an escape as quickly as possible. They had almost made it to the door when Severide spotted them, his grinned wide as he called out, "Come on losers, I know you don't want to miss out."

"Uh, no, thanks, we're good." Brett said, trying to hide her revulsion.

"Yeah, we ate earlier between calls." Gabby supplied, grabbing Brett by the arm and quickly leading her to ambulance to restock. Once the pair were safely out of earshot of the rest of 51, they shared a laugh, glad they had managed to get themselves out of that situation. Gabby grinned as Brett recalled the disaster of a meal Cruz had tried to cook on their three month anniversary. Brett was such an animated storyteller, one of the features Gabby most loved about her friend.

They reached the ambulance and worked quietly a few moments before Brett decided to bring up their unfinished chat from the morning. "So, what were you trying to tell me about you dad earlier?"

At that moment, Stella happened to walk by. Intrigued, she retraced her steps, stopping in front of the ambulance's back doors, "Dawson and Brett gossiping? Why am I not surprised."

The pair looked up at their friend, a laugh escaping both their lips. Gabby patted the empty seat next to her, asking, "you want to join us?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Stella replied, stepping up inside the ambulance. Before she could take a seat, Gabby's hand stopped her. Looking up questioningly, Gabby explained, "you can join us. But only if your lazy ass helps us with inventory."

Stella grinned, accepting the clipboard and pen that Brett offered her, before turning to face Gabby. "Fine, put me to work why don't you. What did I miss?"

"Well, you know about my parent's divorce." Gabby began, pausing to make sure her friend was with her. At Stella's nod, she continued, "Well, I called him last shift, and he got back to me the following evening. He was a mess, apologising over and over… but there was something else going on, I could tell." She stopped, collecting her thoughts and shaking her head before continuing, "I was so wrapped up in how I was feeling that I didn't stop to consider what all of this was doing to him… He's got no one right now. I'm his kid and I wasn't there for him. But I'm changing that. I just need to figure out how to tell Antonio… and Matt."

"Tell them what?" Brett asked.

There was a look of realization on Stella's face as she regarded her friend, "You asked your dad to stay with you didn't you?."

"Yeah I did," Gabby admitted.

"And Casey doesn't know?" Brett asked, incredulous. "You have to tell him."

"I know. I just don't know how."

"I have two words for you." Stella paused, a mischievous grin forming on her face. "Sexy lingerie."

The moment was interrupted by the blaring of bells as ambulance 61 was called to one of their frequent flyers. The call didn't take long, the paramedics quickly dropping off the patient to med and turning around to head back to base. A thought entered Gabby's mind, and she asked Brett to change course, heading to the state attorney's office.

She climbed the stairs, mentally rehearsing how she was going to tell her brother her news. She was sure he was not going to take it well. Gabby was well aware that her brother and father hadn't spoken since the anniversary party. She wasn't sure why, but even mentioning their dad caused Antonio's blood to boil. She just really hoped he wouldn't take the news too badly.

Antonio sighed, placing his pen down in frustration. There was an ever increasing mountain of paperwork stacked on his desk. But he would worry about the rest after his lunch break. He was surprised to see his sister when he looked up, and he rose to meet her, bringing her in for a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, sis, I was just about to head out for lunch, wanna grab a bite? Wait-" he paused, looking her up and down, noticing her uniform, "you're on shift?"

"Yeah. I can't stay long, but there is something I need to talk to you about."

"Sounds serious." Antonio said, amused by his sister's demeanor.

"It's not, it's not. It's really isn't a big deal at all actually"

"Uh-huh." He said, folding his arms, seeing right through her words.

"I know you're not going to like this but you've always supported me even when you don't agree with my decisions because that is the type of big brother you are."

"Gabby, what's going on?" Antonio asked, slightly concerned.

Gabby took a deep breath before she spoke, "Ok, here it goes. Dad's coming to stay with me and Matt-"

"Gabby." he said in frustration, a hand coming up to massage his temple. Knowing a lecture was coming her way, Gabby interrupted him before he could speak, "I know what you're going to say, but this is happening. Anyway, Boden doesn't like us making personal trips so I'd better go."

Before he could say any more, she had turned on her heels and was out the door. He sighed, muttering _unbelievable_ under his breath.

Gabby made her way to the ambulance quickly, and climbed into the passenger seat. Brett looked up from her phone as her friend took her seat. "How did Antonio take it?"

"I didn't stick around long enough to find out," Gabby said slyly, a grin spreading on her face. Brett laughed, shaking her head, before starting the engine ready to head back to quarters. "I know I'm going to get an earful later."

"He'll come around." Brett soothed, pausing a moment before quietly admitting, "I miss him."

"I know. He misses you too." Gabby reached over to squeeze Brett's hand, the pair sharing a look for a moment, before Gabby turned her attention back to the road, changing to a lighter topic of conversation as they headed back to 51.

* * *

The next few hours had been pretty quiet, neither the firefighters nor the paramedics receiving any calls. Gabby found herself in the bunk room as the afternoon set in, reading the same page of her book over and over. As she read the last paragraph for the third time in five minutes, she was interrupted by a hand waving in her peripheral vision.

She looked up, and found herself face-to-face with Stella Kidd, who asked with an amused grin, "Earth to Gabby?"

"Sorry," Gabby apologized, clearing her throat, and sitting up, "What's up?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Stella moved to sit next to her friend, and looked her up and down. "You're still worrying over telling Matt?" she half asked, half accused.

"A little." she said, not wanting to admit how much this was bothering her.

"Girl, why is this such a big deal?"

Gabby pondered the question for a moment. Stella was right, this shouldn't be a big deal, it wasn't like she was inviting a stranger to live with them, it was her own dad. But when she asked him, she hadn't even considered how Matt might react to all this. He was always saying how impulsive she was, rushing into things without thinking them through. And maybe sometimes he was right, but this wasn't one of those times. No matter what had gone on with her parents, her dad was still her dad, and she had no doubt in her mind that him coming to live with them was the best thing for him. The trouble was convincing Matt, and Antonio, of that.

"It's just that, Matt thinks I leap into things."

"No way," Stella deadpanned, trying to keep a straight face.

"Shut up."

"Sorry, continue."

"I know this is the right thing, for me and for my dad. But Matt's always looking out for me and he may feel differently. You've seen him when he gets all overprotective."

"Touche." Stella conceded. She paused a moment before continuing, "But if you really want this, if this is something that is this important to you, and I can see it is… he's not going to fight you on it. Get over yourself and tell him already."

Gabby let out a laugh before replying, "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right."

"Is Gabriela Dawson admitting she is wrong about something? I didn't think she had it in her."

Gabby feigned offense and smacked her friend across the arm.

Before Stella could retaliate, an incoming call interrupted them, alerting truck to a car accident, another ambulance already on scene. The ride was short, the accident having occurred only a few blocks away, leaving little time for the usual banter in the back of truck 81.

Stepping out of the passenger seat, Matt slipped into Lieutenant mode as he surveyed the scene before him. A baby pink bicycle lay on the ground, it's rider nearby, cradling her arm. Matt's attention was pulled to a car, which, in attempting to avoid the cyclist, had swerved and crashed into a wall, its occupant trapped inside. He sent Stella over to check on the woman as he, Otis, Mouch and Herrmann headed towards the car. They worked quickly to free the driver, using jaws to pop open the door. The man was relatively uninjured, having just a few minor lacerations, and a concussion, the paramedics of ambulance 88 soon taking over his care. The driver out of the way, Matt turned as he heard a voice behind him.

"Is that man going to be ok? He wouldn't be hurt if he hadn't swerved out of the way." It was the cyclist, her voice full of concern, Stella a few steps behind her. He turned to face them, and took in the woman's quirky appearance. She was in her mid to late twenties, tall and thin, yet her clothing made her seem younger. She wore a blue button-down covered in tiny hearts, topped with a white cardigan, denim shorts adorning her lanky legs. The look was finished off with a brown bow, clipping back a section of her short, brown hair, it's sequins glistening in the sunlight. She attempted to pass Matt, looking round him to where the driver was being secured onto a backboard. "I should go and apologize. This man saved my life, I owe it to him."

"He's going to be fine. A few minor injuries, but he is in good hands." Stella interrupted, exasperated. This was the third time she had had this conversation with the young woman, who seemed to be soaking up the drama of the situation a little too eagerly. _Jesus Christ_ she muttered, under her breath, earning a warning look from her lieutenant.

The woman ignored Stella, her focus entirely fixated on the driver as she watched him being wheeled towards the ambulance. She moved to pass Matt once again, but he stepped into her path, putting his hand on her arm to stop her as he softly but firmly stated, "Ma'am, you're hurt, you should let the paramedics check your injuries."

Her head snapped over to Matt, her eyes falling on his hand on her arm, before moving to him and looking him up and down. The man suddenly forgotten, she locked eyes with Matt. Noting this change in her demeanor, he pulled his hand away, clearing his throat.

The woman's eyes bore into his, "Oh, there's no need to call me ma'am. I'm Megan." She said, a grin tugging at her lips.

"Alright… Megan." he said, taking a small step back, "Kidd's going to take you over to the medics now, get that arm looked at."

The woman pouted, "but I'd prefer if it were you."

Stella's eyes grew, and she looked around, noting that the rest of 81 were sniggering nearby, fully enjoying watching their lieutenant squirm. Matt looked uncomfortable with the exchange, not quite sure how to deal with the predicament he had found himself in. He hesitated a moment, before nodding his head cautiously. "Sure," he replied, leading the way to the paramedics, the woman falling into step beside him. Stella shook her head and followed, not wanting to miss anything.

"I can't wait to tell all my friends; I've never met a real-life firefighter before," her tone flirtatious.

It was at times like this that Matt really regretted not wearing his wedding band on shift. This wasn't the first time he had gained unwanted attention from someone they had saved, but it was definitely the weirdest. He simply nodded, not quite sure what to say.

"So, are you single?"

"Uh, no," Matt replied awkwardly, "I'm married."

"Oh." She sighed dejectedly. Her tone brightened as she continued, "Well, if that ever changes…"

Matt was saved from having to answer as they had reached the ambulance. The woman now in the medic's hands, he quickly turned away, his eyes falling onto his men, their faces confirming his suspicions that he was not going to live this down any time soon.

"Hey, maybe I will come visit you at your firehouse when I am feeling better?" The girl called.

Matt's eyes grew at her words, thankful that his back was now to her, the firefighters in the background dissolving into laughter.

* * *

Walking into the common room half an hour later, Gabby could tell that Matt was irritated. Behind him, his crew looked a lot more jovial.

"Hey, Gabby," Otis called, "you'd better watch out, we've found your replacement."

Gabby's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at the faces in the room, before falling back to Otis, "My replacement, for what?"

"If you and Casey ever get divorced."

"I'm sorry?" Gabby asked, clearly having missed something.

Severide wandered into the common room, looking up from his phone, smirking as he turned to address the room, "Apparently, things got interesting on their last call."

"How do you know about it?" Matt replied, his voice filled with annoyance.

"Everyone knows about it."

"Knows about what?" Brett interrupted.

"Let's just say, one victim was very grateful that a strong, brave fireman was there to save the day." Stella supplied, mockingly.

Gabby and Brett laughed as Otis and Stella recounted the tale for the paramedics. As they finished, Matt turned to Gabby, knowing she would join in with the taunting.

"Aww, you guys, cut it out."

"I get it-," he started, pausing as her words registered, "wait, what?"

Gabby never felt threatened whenever women were taken away with Matt, in fact she found it amusing how embarrassed it made him. She moved over to the table and took a seat down next to him. "I'm sorry this happened to you, I know how uncomfortable this makes you, baby."

Matt was confused as to why Gabby wasn't participating with the teasing, but he was grateful for the ally against the other men and women of 51. The men of truck and squad looked equally as puzzled at their friend's behavior. Gabby was usually the first to jump in whenever there was mockery going on, especially when Matt was the target. Brett and Stella, meanwhile, shared a knowing smile as they looked on, amused at everyone's surprised reactions.

As the evening turned into night, Gabby took the opportunity to seek out Matt, who had retreated to his office shortly after dinner. He was bent over his desk doing paperwork when she knocked. He stopped, putting his pen down and smiling at her as she came in immediately closed the door behind her. She pulled the blinds down as he looked on, smirking but slightly confused. It had been a while since his office blinds had been shut. He was expecting her to come over to him, but instead she turned and flopped onto the bed.

"Why is your bed so much comfier than mine?" she asked after a moment, as he came and sat down next to her, running a hand up and down her leg.

"Perks of being the Lieutenant," he replied. She pulled herself so she was sitting up, her left hand coming up to play with the hairs at the base of his neck."So what brings you to my office at," He paused to look at his watch, "ten thirty?"

She shrugged, her free hand coming up to his neck to pull his face closer to hers, her lips coming to his ear as she whispered, "I just wanted to come say hi."

"What are you up to?" he chuckled, turning to meet her eyes. In response she began attacking his neck, leaving a trail of kisses from his ear down to his collar bone. She pulled back a moment to look at him as she asked playfully, "do you want me to stop?"

"No."

"Good," she whispered, pulling him down on top of her, her lips assaulting his.

* * *

When Matt arrived home the following evening, he was surprised to hear no sounds coming from the house. Setting his bag down by the door, he shrugged his coat off before hanging it up. It was strange that the house was so quiet; usually when he came home he could hear the TV, or his wife singing along to music. He chalked it up to the stress of the previous night. After what had been a particularly quiet day, the men and women of Firehouse 51 had been up tackling a fully involved structure fire for most of the night. They had crawled back to the house a little after 5 in the morning, too tired to make conversation as they stumbled into bed, intent on grabbing a couple of hours sleep. No one had been particularly chatty as shift came to an end, the coffee pot being put to good use as everyone suppressed yawns. Matt and Gabby hadn't had a chance to speak much, her having to rush off to Molly's for a delivery, him heading home for a shower before heading to his construction job on the other side of town. Driving home that evening, all he had wanted was to get in, eat some food, watch crappy TV, and then head to sleep.

He made his way into the living room, his hand covering his mouth as he yawned. He flicked on a lamp, and was surprised to see a package lying on the coffee table; a wrapped box, topped with a bow. He picked it up and rattled it, curious, trying to work out what it might contain. Getting no clues from the box itself, he opened it. Pulling off a layer of tissue paper, his face broke out into a huge grin, as he picked the contents up. He held up a red satin babydoll with intricate black lace edges. In the box were a matching pair of panties, and he let out a whistle.

There was a soft cough behind him, and he turned to face Gabby, her grin matching his as she watched him from the doorway.

Her hair was fixed in a bun atop her head, and she was dressed in skinny jeans and a loose-fitting top. "Hi," she greeted, moving over to him.

"Hi yourself," he replied, bridging the gap between them and bringing her closer for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her head falling into the crook of his neck as she breathed in the familiar scent. She relished in the warmth of his body against hers as they existed in that quiet moment. She pulled back after a moment, still remaining in the embrace. "I missed you," she whispered, a smile tugging at her lips.

"I missed you too. We didn't get to see each other much after that last call," he replied, his hand resting gently in the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. His grin grew mischievous as he asked, "and would you care to explain why you were being especially sweet all shift?"

"Are you implying that I am not always sweet?" she asked, smiling. In return he scoffed, an action she knew meant 'I know you're up to something'. She pulled away suddenly, grabbing his hand as she turned towards the kitchen, throwing over her shoulder, "I have another gift for you."

Intrigued, but not wanting to pass up whatever she was offering, he followed her, putting the box of lingerie down on the coffee table as he passed it. She led him to the kitchen island, and he took in a deep breath, recognizing the familiar scent. In the eight years they had known each other, this dish had become his favorite. He could still recall the first time she had made it for him, back before they were together. It was around the time of his mother's parole hearing, and he had come around to fix one of her windows. "Arroz con pollo picante?" he asked.

"I haven't made it in a while, and I know it's your favorite, so I thought, why not?" she paused, taking the dish out of the oven before looking back up at him, "and after five years you've finally mastered the pronunciation…"

He picked up a dish cloth from the side and threw it at her, feigning offense. She laughed, reaching for plates to start serving dinner up. He watched her a moment, before deciding to rip the bandaid off and find out what was causing her unusual behavior. "Ok, out with it."

"With what?" she asked, grabbing the plates and leading the way back to the living room, Matt close on her heels. She placed the plates down before turning to Matt, shoving him down on the couch before sitting down on his lap.

"Sticking up for me at work, the lingerie, _and_ cooking my favorite meal? What all this is this for?"

"I just want to thank you for being so understanding." She replied, kissing his neck.

"Gabby," he half-moaned, "understanding of what?"

"I might have invited my dad to live with us," she muttered quickly into his neck. He pulled back, surprised, as he regarded her a moment, "Is this what the phone call was about the other night?"

"No, no. He just wanted to talk. He missed me, and I missed him too. I'm the one who asked him." She insisted, feeling the need to defend her father. "I know I should have talked to you about it first, but…"

"He's your dad, and he's important to you," Matt interrupted.

"He is." She regarded him a moment, trying to gauge his reaction, "So you're ok with this?"

He nodded, taking one of her hands in his, "Of course. I just wished you had said something."

"I know. I should have. I'm sorry. I guess I was just afraid you would say no. An-" she stopped herself, thinking it might be better if Matt didn't know how her brother felt about the situation.

He looked at her questioningly, "What?"

"Nothing. Honestly. We should eat, I have to go to Molly's soon."

"Ok," he agreed reluctantly, not wanting to push her.

* * *

Matt looked up from the game he was watching as he heard the front door open. Knowing it was too early for Gabby to be home from Molly's, he looked up, intrigued. His brother-in-law came strolling into the room, nodding in greeting. He seemed a little tense as he approached, asking "Is Gabby here? And don't cover for her, I know she's avoiding me."

"She's avoiding you?" He replied, confused, "Why?"

Antonio sighed, "She didn't tell you?"

"Is this about your dad coming to stay with us?" he asked, cautiously.

"So you're okay with this? After everything he said…" he replied, his voice increasing in agitation with each word.

"I know he hurt your mom, and I am sorry. But Gabby wants him here, and that's her call."

"It's not just about what he said to our mom," he muttered angrily, "he doesn't think and he doesn't care who he hurts."

Matt was alarmed by Antonio's reaction, he knew Antonio was furious with his father for the divorce, but this seemed bigger. There was something Antonio wasn't saying. "Antonio, is there something else?"

Antonio paused a moment, internally debating whether to tell Matt or not. Sensing this, Matt prompted, "Come on, he's coming to live with us. If there's something I need to know…"

Antonio sighed, "Fine. The night of the party… I was trying to knock some sense into my old man. He said things, a lot of things. I don't know if he meant them all," he paused, disgusted by the words before they even left his mouth, "he said he should have left my mother 30 years ago."

Matt faltered, "but Gabby-" he said softly, his mind putting together the pieces. Antonio's behavior suddenly became clear, and he couldn't blame him. Matt let out a frustrated sigh, his hand coming up to rub his temple.

Antonio laughed humorlessly, "I know. What kind of father says that?"

Matt wasn't sure how to react to the new information. He knew that he had already agreed to let her dad stay, but part of him knew this was a recipe for disaster, and Gabby would be the one to get hurt.

Over at Molly's, the mood was a lot brighter. Taking a break, Gabby grabbed her phone and headed for the back exit. Stepping out into the cool Chicago air, Gabby let out a content sigh as she dialed the familiar number. She waited as it rang, wrapping an arm around herself to stave off the chilly air. Gabby glanced at the time as it continued to ring. Noting the lateness, she wasn't surprised when the call went to voicemail.

"Hey dad, it's me. I just wanted to let you know that everyone is onboard with you coming to stay and I'm really looking forward to getting to spend some time with you. Anyway, I gotta go, but I'll see you soon."


	3. Shadows Fall

Hello! First of all I'd like to apologize on behalf of Zoe and I that nothing has been posted in almost a year. Lots of life reasons came into play, but with the end of the academic year comes time for us both to get back into writing. With that being said, I come bearing good news and bad news. The bad news is that this may be the final chapter of SFTP that gets posted. I might keep this going as a solo project, I'm not sure yet. The good news? We're working on a few new projects, two multichapter fics and a few shorter stories. With the recent news of Monica's departure from the show, we really want to get back into writing. I'll stop rambling now, but again I just really want to apologize for not posting in forever, but hopefully things will get moving again now! Heather x

* * *

The first thing Gabby was aware of as she was pulled from her slumber was the feeling of Matt's lips, warm and soft against her bare shoulder. She groaned softly in protest, but it only served to encourage him more. He trailed kisses up her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

"Go away," she murmured, turning away.

"Babe," he teased, moving closer to her, his arm wrapping around her waist.

"You kept me up all night, let me sleep," she protested, pushing her head further into the pillow.

"Are you saying you didn't enjoy last night?" He whispered into her ear.

"Oh, I did," she agreed, stifling a yawn, "but I think I'm going to need an IV of coffee to get me through this shift."

The last two days had been busy for the couple; between his construction jobs and Alderman duties and her work at Molly's, it seemed like they kept missing one another. The previous evening had been their first together in days, and the pair had made the most of it. He was planning on bringing up his conversation with Antonio, but when he got home to find his wife dressed only in the lingerie she had presented him with two nights before, small talk was not on the cards. They relished in their time together that night, sleep far from either of their minds.

Matt moved his lips back to her neck as he continued his assault, and this time she didn't pull away. They remained snuggled in each other's embrace a few moments before Gabby sighed, starting to pull away. She had almost made it off the bed when she felt Matt's hands on her waist, pulling her back down so she was practically laying on top of him, her back to his chest. She laughed, twisting to look up at his face, his grin matching hers, "Matt, stop, we're going to be late. I have to go shower."

Gabby lifted her head from his chest, turning her body to face him. She swept her hair over one shoulder before moving slowly closer to his face. She hovered, her face inches from his, watching as his eyes remained transfixed as she slowly ran her tongue across her bottom lip. She moved suddenly, her mouth dropping to his ear as she whispered huskily "but you're welcome to join me." She didn't wait for his response as she sauntered towards the bathroom, hearing the telling signs of Matt rushing to follow her.

They were going to stop for breakfast over at the their favorite spot on the way to work, but their shower had lasted longer than planned, and they had to rush in order to make it on time. Sitting in the car, Matt mentally rehearsed how to bring up his conversation with Antonio from the other night. Gabby's phone was plugged in, her music blaring as she sang along to some musical song that Matt couldn't quite place. _I'm just like my country, I'm young, scrappy and hungry and I'm not throwing away my shot!_

He reached for the dial, turning the volume down, receiving a slap on the arm in protest. "Hey, don't touch my radio!"

"It's my truck!"

"It's my Hamilton!"

He chuckled at her antics, before turning serious. "Hey, can we talk for a second?"

"Wow, you've already switched over to lieutenant mode," she teased.

"Look," he began, twisting in his seat to look at her as they waited at a stoplight, "your dad coming to stay… are you sure it's a good idea? With everything going on with the house, my Alderman work, your shifts at Molly's, I'm just not sure now is the right time."

He knew it was an awful excuse, and, knowing Gabby, he was aware that she would see right through it. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her the real reason.

Her mood shifted suddenly, her demeanor turning from playful to frustrated. "He's arriving tomorrow, Matt. You didn't think to tell me this sooner?"

"It's not like you gave me tons of time for that. You didn't even tell me he was coming until after you asked him to stay with us." Matt sighed, knowing that she was trying to get a rise out of him. He really hated that it was working.

"He's my dad. I didn't realize I needed your permission." She said sharply, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You know that's not what I meant, but a bit of warning would've been nice." He retorted, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

There was an awkward pause, both of them staring at the road ahead, refusing to look at each other. It was only a few moments later that Gabby spoke again, but it felt a lot longer. "Matt, I don't understand. You were fine with this until now... what's changed?" She asked, her voice softer than before, but still laced with an underlying harshness.

"I just don't think it's a good idea."

"If you really felt this way, you should have talked to me sooner," she said, her pitch increasing with each word.

"You're right," he replied, aware that he'd gone about this the wrong way, "but I'm telling you now."

"Well, it's happening," she snapped, her tone hostile as she turned away and looked out the window. He could feel the tension between them, and knew that this was her way of telling him the conversation was over. He sighed, his attention fully back on the road as they made the rest of the journey to work in silence.

* * *

The morning had been hectic for the men and women of 51; they didn't seem to be able to catch a break. It wasn't until midday that they were all able to unwind. Gabby hadn't spoken to Matt since the car ride. She was avoiding him when they weren't on calls, and he was frustrated. He wanted to talk to her, but didn't know how to bring it up without causing her to shut him down again. He sighed, his eyes on the newspaper before him, his hand reaching for his coffee cup. He brought it to his lips, only to realize it was empty. He was about to stand to refill it, when a fresh, steaming cup was placed in front of him. He looked up, surprised to see Gabby standing there, a half-embarrassed smile on her face. He knew that this was a peace offering, as apologies weren't her strongest suit.

"Where's my coffee?" Severide teased, pointing at his almost-empty cup.

"Get it yourself." she replied sassily.

"That is no way to talk to your lieutenant."

" _My lieutenant_? I don't work for you," she shot back. The truck company looked on from their spots around the room, amused at their colleagues and grateful for the light atmosphere after a long few hours.

Matt laughed smugly, bringing his coffee to his mouth and taking a long sip, his grin wide as he lowered the cup back to the table.

"Ha ha." Severide scoffed in fake annoyance, standing to get himself a cup.

The bells of 51 rang, calling the paramedics to a possible spinal injury. Brett sighed, the sandwich she had just finished making barely touching her lips.

"Duty calls," Gabby called teasingly, gaining an eye-roll from Brett.

* * *

Pulling up on the apparatus floor, the first thing Gabby noticed was that Truck was missing. Their call had taken a lot longer than expected, the situation more dire than first anticipated. A young woman had snuck into a climbing gym on a date, suffering a fall which had led to internal decapitation. Thanks to their quick thinking, they had managed to stabilize the girl.

The paramedics made their way to the common room. All of a sudden, Gabby heard a familiar laughter, one she would recognise anywhere and she quickened her pace, Brett rushing to keep up.

"Gabby?" Brett asked.

"I think my dad is here."

They reached the entryway, Gabby's eyes lighting up as she saw on her father. His grin grew as he rose to meet her, bringing her in for a hug.

"You're here? I thought your flight didn't get in until tomorrow?" She asked, pulling back and looking up at him.

"Oh, I got an earlier flight."

"You should have called me, I would have come and picked you up."

"I didn't want to trouble you, and besides, I wanted it to be a surprise."

At that moment, Gabby heard voices from the hallway. Instantly she recognised them as the members of Truck 81. Stella and Otis were the first to enter, closely followed by Herrmann and Mouch. Matt was the last to arrive, his level of tension rising immediately as he laid eyes on his father-in-law. He hid his internal annoyance at the unexpected early arrival. He had been hoping for a little extra time to talk to Gabby before he had to face Ramon.

Gabby placed her hand on her dad's back, her smile wide as she introduced her father to the group, "Guys, I'd like you all to meet my dad. He's going to be in Chicago for a while."

One by one the group introduced themselves to Gabby's father; warm handshakes and friendly greetings all round. Matt hung back, watching as his men greeted Ramon, until the older man looked up at him and their eyes met.

"Matt," he said, bridging the gap between them, "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise," Matt replied, unable to mask the tension he was feeling. Ramon brought him in for a friendly hug, but Matt's body remained rigid as he stood awkwardly in the short embrace. When he pulled back, Ramon returned to Gabby's side, and Matt stole a glance around the room. No one seemed to have picked up on the awkwardness, besides Severide, who was watching him carefully.

"I guess you're to blame for this troublemaker," Herrmann joked, earning a collective group of laughs and 'ooh's from the room and eliciting a scoff from Gabby. "Nah, I'm just yanking your chain; you've got a great kid."

"I am pretty great," Gabby teased.

"But not very modest," Stella interjected, before turning to address Ramon, "You're joining us for dinner, right?"

"Uh, I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Nonsense, you're staying," Gabby declared.

"You heard the girl. Besides, I want to hear all your embarrassing Gabby stories," Stella replied, grinning wildly and wrapping an arm around Gabby.

Matt watched from the back of the room, rolling his eyes at the exchange. Most members of 51 had missed it, however two had not. His eyes landed first on Gabby who appeared slightly annoyed, and then on Severide who offered him a questioning look.

Matt made a swift exit from the room, not wanting to irritate Gabby further but unsure as to whether he would be able to remain civil around her father. He headed straight for his office, sighing as he sat down at his desk, hoping to distract himself with paperwork.

It worked for a while, the incident reports that had been sat incomplete on his desk were now finished. He sat up straight, running a hand through his hair and sighing. Severide happened to be passing at that moment and paused in the doorway to watch his friend. Matt was so distracted that he didn't even see him there. It wasn't until Severide cleared his throat that he realized he had company.

"Dude, what's with you?"

"What do you mean," Matt asked, looking down, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, you're gonna play dumb?" Severide rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"It's nothing, it's just been a long shift."

"Bullshit." Severide said pointedly. "Those were some icey looks you were giving Dawson's dad. I thought you guys got along well?"

"We did." Matt said, trying to end the conversation.

"What changed?"

Matt hesitated, not sure if he should confide in his friend with Gabby still in the dark.

"It can't be that bad. Just tell me." Severide said, sensing his friend's reluctance.

Casey nodded uneasily. His face hardened a second later. "This doesn't leave this room."

"It won't." Severide promised.

"Antonio came over the night Gabby told me her dad was going to be staying with us. And he told me something about their dad. Gabby stills doesn't know…"

"What?" Severide prompted, wishing he would hurry up and spit it out.

Matt inhaled, closing his eyes a moment before he spoke, "The night of the anniversary party Antonio had it out with Ramon. He was trying to figure out what was going on, why their dad was acting that way." Matt paused a second, shaking his head, "Ramon said he should have left Camilla thirty years ago, before Gabby was born."

Severide faltered, trying desperately to hide the guiltiness he was feeling. But it was futile, Matt saw it flash across his face. "You knew?" He accused, practically daring Severide to deny it. "How?"

"Antonio told me about it at Molly's after everything happened," he admitted.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Matt half yelled, trying not to make a scene in the firehouse; his colleagues were gossipers, and he knew word would get around instantly.

"If I had told you, you wouldn't have been able to hide how angry you were. Like you can't right now. Don't think I was only one who noticed back there. Gabby knows something is up."

Matt faltered, he hated to admit it, but Severide was right. He _had_ had a hard time hiding his anger, but he couldn't help it. He just knew that Gabby would be devastated if she found out what her father had said, especially as they had just repaired their relationship following the divorce announcement. Gabby had always been close to her father, he knew how much she relished in the relationship they shared, but telling her would take some of that away from her. The rational part of him felt like he should tell her, that she had the right to know, and he hated hiding this from her. But the protective part of him didn't want to crush her with this revelation.

There was a knock, and Matt looked up to see Stella Kidd poking her head round the door. Her smile changed from friendly to somewhat awkward as she noted the obvious tension in the room.

"Hey, I didn't mean to interrupt, just wanted to let you know food's ready." Stella didn't wait to hear their responses as she turned on her heels and left the office without a backwards glance. Matt and Severide shared a look, a silent promise that this conversation would be continued later, before standing to follow Stella.

Over in the common room, Gabby was putting the finishing touches on dinner. When she had walked into the kitchen an hour ago to complete disarray, she'd swiftly stepped in to save her father from Cruz's disaster of a meal, banning him from the room 'for the greater good.'

One by one the members of 51 made their way into the common room and grabbed plates of food.

"Smells good, what is it?" Mouch asked.

"Enchiladas," Gabby supplied, bringing salad over to the table.

Matt filled a plate before turning, choosing the seat next to Gabby, who was sitting at the end. He squeezed her shoulder as he passed, and she turned to look up at him, smiling. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey yourself," he replied. They were having a silent conversation, lost in each other's eyes, until the sound of a chair scraping pulled them back to the present. Matt looked up, holding back a sigh as he laid eyes on his father-in-law, Severide's words resounding in his head as he tried to act normal.

Light conversation fell upon the group as they ate, Matt zoning out until the talk turned to that of his wedding to Gabby.

"You know they tried to sneak off and get married without us." Stella told Ramon.

"They did," Herrmann chucked. "But we weren't going let them do it without their Fifty-One family."

"I'm glad you guys were there to witness it," Ramon replied, smiling. Matt noted that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Twenty minutes later the meal was finished and everyone was starting to clear up. Otis was on dish washing duty, and one by one the group dispersed. Outside the common room, Matt and Severide were discussing the house's bet on how long until Connie scared off the new girl, Marcy. Their laughter stopped when they saw Ramon making his way over to them.

"Well, Squad have got drills to run, I'll leave you guys to it," Severide announced, heading towards the apparatus floor, giving Matt's shoulder a squeeze on his way past.

The pair watched as Severide left, before Ramon turned to face Matt. "We didn't get a chance to talk much during dinner.. It's good to see you."

"Yeah, you too." Matt replied somewhat coldly, his gaze remaining firmly fixed on the scene before him as Severide began running a drill with Cruz.

An awkward silence stretched out before them, and, when it became clear that Matt wasn't going to make the first move to continue the conversation, he cleared his throat. "I'm glad you two finally tied the knot."

Matt's face softened as his mind wandered back to that day. "I am too."

Marriage had been on the forefront of his mind from the moment they had become a family with Louie, but her feelings towards marriage had shifted following the anniversary party and it had thrown his plans for a third proposal out the window. Sitting in Molly's for the 100th anniversary party, seeing the look in her eyes, he had realised that they were both ready to take that step.

"You both seem very happy, I just wish Gabby's family could have been there."

"Her family was there." Seeing the hurt flash across Ramon's face, he took a deep breath, frustrated that he let his anger get the better of him. "It was a spur of the moment decision. We had to act quickly for the sake of Louie, I know Gabby wanted you there."

Ramon was starting to get the impression that something was bothering Matt, but before he could call him out on it, they were interrupted by Gabby.

"Hey, dad," she greeted, handing out her house key, "Matt and I won't be off shift until tomorrow, but the guest room is ready for you." Looking between Matt and her father, Gabby could tell that she had walked in on something, the tension between the pair obvious.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Ramon replied, accepting the key and leaning in to give his daughter a kiss on the cheek. "I should get going."

"See you in the morning." She smiled warmly, before watching as he made a swift exit. As the door close, she turned on her heel to face Matt.

"Really?" she asked.

"What? We were just talking."

"You were being weird in the car ride this morning and you've been a jerk to my dad ever since he got here. What's going on with you?"She stared him down. Matt was usually an open book to her, but right now she couldn't get a clear reading on him.

"Nothing," he replied. He paused, taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I'm just stressed."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her reassuringly. She rolled her eyes at him, shrugging his hand off and starting to walk away.

"Gabby," he called after her, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she replied, turning back to face him, "I think Brett needs help with inventory."

* * *

Sitting on a bar stool in Molly's, Matt found his mind wandering over the events of the past few days. The whole situation with Gabby's dad had been escalating more quickly than Matt was comfortable with. Matt knew the longer Ramon stayed with him, the less he would be able to control himself around the man. He knew that he couldn't keep this from Gabby, and the longer he hid it, the worse the consequences would be for him, and yet he couldn't bring himself to say the words that would shatter his wife's world. He knew she was starting to catch on to the fact that it was more than just the inconvenience of his father-in-law's stay causing his hostile behaviour, and he knew he was either going to have to come up with a better excuse or to tell Gabby the truth.

What Matt wanted more than anything in that moment was to take a break. Not from Gabby, but from this situation. He wanted desperately to turn the clock back six months, back to when he didn't know about Ramon's confession, and when the apartment was filled with Louie's toys rather than Ramon's dirty laundry and clutter.

The small thud of a bottle being placed before him brought him back to the present, and he looked up, his eyes landing on Herrmann, who was looking at him questioningly. "You alright, Lieutenant?"

"Huh?" he responded, having only half-registered his friend's words.

"You haven't seemed yourself the last few days days," the older man observed. He slung the dish towel he had been holding over his shoulder before asking, "Is everything ok?"

"Oh, yeah, you know," Matt began, trying to decide how much truth to give to his friend. "Gabby's dad living with us… it's just been a little… crowded." he eventually replied, brushing Herrmann off.

"Oh, I know that feeling," Herrmann chuckled, "back when we were living with Cindy's parents… let's just say I'm not sure how we made it all those months without killing one another."

Matt laughed half-heartedly, grateful that Herrmann seemed to believe that's all there was to it. He took another swig of his beer, his mind starting to wander once again.

"You could always move out," Herrmann suggested. He waited a beat before adding, "You know, since Severide turned me down, you've still got a shot at the apartment above our garage."

Matt chuckled, "Thanks. I'm not sure we're quite that desperate, though."

"Well the offer still stands, if you ever need it."

"Thanks," he replied, much more sincerely this time. "I'll be sure to let Gabby know."

A few tables down Stella and Severide were giving Capp a hard time for making a fool of himself in front of a hot girl at a scene the previous day. Looking for an escape, Capp noted that their beer bottles were almost empty, and volunteered to buy the next round.

"Another beer?" Capp asked, using his empty beer bottle to gesture to the group.

"Sure," the pair replied in sync, never ones to pass up free alcohol.

Once Capp was out of hearing distance, Stella turned to Severide. "What was up with you and Casey earlier. That looked intense."

Severide looked at her faking innocence. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about." She prompted, shoving Severide's shoulder and rolling her eyes.

Severide placed a hand over his heart, feigning hurt.

"Oh, shut up." She retorted, squinting her eyes at him.

"I didn't say anything." Severide raised his hands, laughing, in mock defeat.

"Of course you didn't." She replied. Their eyes locked, both getting caught up in the moment.

Stella is the first to reluctantly break eye contact, her curiosity of the secrets between her boss and best friend. She is about to inquire about Casey again, when beers are placed on the table before them. She silently makes a mental note to talk to Severide when they get home.

* * *

Matt sighed as he grabbed his bag from the passenger seat of his truck. His alderman meeting had run late again and he knew that Gabby would already have left for her shift at Molly's. It always seemed as though they were missing each other these days. During shift seemed to be the only time the pair got to themselves since Ramon had moved in with them earlier in the week. Even then, it was nearly impossible to find any privacy in the he were being honest, though, he was glad they hadn't had too much time alone. It meant he could avoid talking about Ramon.

He made his way into the living room, expecting to find Gabby waiting for him. He was bitterly disappointed to find his father-in-law sitting on the couch drinking a beer and watching soccer.

"Oh, hey, I was just watching the game, if you want to join?" Ramon asked, gesturing to the TV.

Matt headed towards the kitchen, throwing over his shoulder, "I'm fine. And I don't watch soccer." He opened the fridge, cursing under his breath. "I see you helped yourself to the beer," he said, before muttering under her breath just loudly enough for Ramon to hear, "all of the beer."

Ramon sighed heavily, switching off the TV and turning to face his son-in-law. "Matt, can we just be civil?"

Matt ignored the question, grabbing the bag he had placed down on his way in and turning towards the bedroom. He got a few steps before Ramon spoke again. "Why are you so angry, Matt? What have I done? Is this about me staying here?"

"No, it's not."

"Then would you care to explain why I've been given the cold-shoulder since my arrival? We've never had issues like this before."

"I can't pretend like I don't know," Matt sighed, trying desperately to maintain his composure and not let the anger he was feeling spill out.

Ramon looked at him, "Like you don't know what?"

"Antonio told me... what you said after the party." Matt explained bitterly, watching as realisation dawned on his father-in-law's face.

"Matt, I-"

"That you said you wished you had left your wife thirty years ago." He interrupted, no longer able to hide his anger. "I did the math; you were talking about when Gabby was born. "

"You don't understand-" he began, trying desperately to calm Matt down.

"You're right about that. I don't understand," Matt hissed, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice."I don't understand what kind of father talks about their child like that. Do you wish you had abandoned her?" There was despair in his voice as he spoke, his heart breaking for his wife, wanting desperately for this all to be a lie, a misunderstanding.

"I could never abandon my children, either of them," Ramon shot back, intoxication evident. "I love Gabriela and I have from the moment she was born. I never cared that she wasn't mine," he froze, eyes locked on Matt. Silence descended upon the room as he realized his mistake.


End file.
